Sweltering heat my cause some of us to park it in front of the A.C. until September, but others see the rising temps as an invitation to frolic in the sun all day long. No matter your usual routine, everyone loves live music in the summer –especially when it’s served up festival style. But not all summer music festivals are created equal. So grab your sunscreen, a water bottle and a friend and check out one of GL’s must-see music festivals this summer.

With seven stages, the CMA music festival in
Nashville, Tenn. is your one stop shop for all your country music needs. The
line-up is still rolling out, but artists already announced include the hunky
Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Cassadee Pope, Hunter Hayes and tons more of the
best of the best country crooners. Not only will the big names be there, tons
of little known country names (like Dan + Shay and Adam Hambrick) will perform,
too. But wait, CMA Music Festival gets even better—it’s also set to feature an
ultra cool fan experience called Fan Alley where festival-goers can meet and
greet with their favorite musicians and get to see one of a kind performances.
Where do we sign up!?

This music and arts fest was named the 2008
“Best Festival” by Rolling Stone, so
you know it’s gotta be grand. This year Bonnaroo will take place in Manchester,
Tenn. and why should you get your booty down south this June 12-14? It’s
simple, really: Kanye West, Group Love, Disclosure, Capital Cities and Jake
Bugg. Still not convinced? Besides the music, the festival prides itself on
being environmentally friendly, hosts art exhibits and even has a comedy
theatre. Really, it’s a weekend jam-packed with all kinds of art that you
shouldn’t miss.

Delaware might be one of smallest US states,
but it’s home to one of the biggest and best summer music fests. The third
annual Firefly Festival will be held in Dover, Del. on July 19-22. Enjoy a
scorching day in the sun watching Foo Fighters, Imagine Dragons, Tegan &
Sara and A Great Big World play hit after hit and then end the day by catching
some fireflies of your own. Whether you make an entire weekend of it, or attend
for just a single day, you’re sure to find something you like on at least one
of the seven stages.

This festival is so big, it can’t be contained
in just one day or one weekend. Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wis. hits the ground
running on June 25 and lasts for a whopping 11 days, ending July 6 (only
skipping Monday, June 30). In its 48th year, the festival will
feature The Arctic Monkeys, The Neighborhood, Neon Trees, The Fray and a mod
podge of other acts. Big name artists like Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga will
perform during the festival as well, but ticketing for these musicians differs
from regular Summerfest tickets. Bonus features: totally cheap tickets, great
food, interactive exhibits and shopping.

The Vans Warped Tour is where you need to be
this summer if you’re craving a summer festival full of punk and rock
influences. The tour will hit 40+ cities across the US and Canada from June 13
to August 3. With more than 100 bands playing throughout the summer, every rock
fan will be pleased. Craving something more pop influenced? Catch The Ready
Set’s electro performance. If folk-rock is more your thing, then you’ll wanna
catch Nick Santino’s set. But say you’re a pop-punk girl, then bands like
Yellowcard and Real Friends are must sees. In addition to music, there are tons
of freebies, band signings and fun surprises each and every day.

Jay-Z’s Made in America Festival was such a hit
last year that this year, the fest is going bicoastal. That’s right, from August
30-31, it will be held in Philadelphia and
Los Angeles. The beauty of this musical get-together is that it pays no mind to
boundaries set by genres. There’s everything from hip-hop, indie, EDM, rock,
pop and more across three stages. This year’s line-up has not yet been
announced, but past performers include Rita Ora, Imagine Dragons, Calvin
Harris, Haim and countless amazing artists, so only time will tell what’s in store.

End the summer with a bang with the Virgin
Freefest in Columbia, MD. When we say free, we mean free—the tickets to this event cost exactly $0. But like Made in
America, the line-up for the 2014 festival has not yet been released. We have
high hopes, though, considering the likes of Icona Pop, Vampire Weekend and Blink-182
have graced the Freefest stages in the past. The date is TBD, but if tradition
holds the fest will occur in late September.